Never lose air from your tires again!

    https://phys.org/news/2020-03-impermeable-graphene.html


    This article talks about graphene, a newly developed carbon film. A layer 1 atom thick was found to be almost perfectly impermeable - even to helium.


    The scientists said two things that caught my eye:


    "It would take longer than the age of the universe for an average gas molecule to escape."


    They also described graphene's impermeability as:


    "Like a kilometer-thick glass wall."


    This stuff is cheap, lightweight, relatively easy to produce. So what if we line the inside of tires, beads, inside of rims with this stuff? Except for performance applications, most people's car tires wouldn't even need a valve stem!


    Pair this with a run-flat tire and you would have a perfectly maintenance free tire for the life of the tread (excepting punctures, mis-alignments, etc.)

    🤠

    The smarter you get, the funnier I am.

    sounds interesting, but wouldnt there still be a weak point at the bead where gas could/would still have an escape route?


    Unless they designed a totally lined wheel and tire all as one unit I suspect there would still be the need for maintenance


    I do know the military and other companies have been developing airless flat proof wheel/tires, but from what I have seen I am not sure how well they would be accepted in the public sector where people want the ability to individualize their vehicles with custom wheels and such


    This is a Michelin airless


    halo1.jpg

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